What is Epiphany?

In Living the Christian Year: Time to Inhabit the Story of God, author Bobby Gross reminds us that the liturgical season of Epiphany brings the themes of light to a culmination. In Advent we cry out with Isaiah for the people who walk in darkness to see the promised light. In Christmastide we celebrate the coming of that Light in the birth of Jesus. In Epiphany we recognize that the gift of Light is for the whole world as illustrated by the arrival of Magi from the East to the Jewish home of Mary and Joseph.

The one who shows himself to us asks us to make him known to others. The one who declares, ‘I am the light of the world,’ says to us, ‘You are the light of the world.’

— Bobby Gross, Living the Christian Year: Time to Inhabit the Story of God

Look, Read, & Listen: a devotional post for each week of Epiphany

Throughout the Sunday worship and daily readings in the Epiphany lectionary, we follow the early life and ministry of Jesus as He is revealed as the Son of God, appearing as light to a dark world. He is the very God shining forth, manifesting the glory of God. Oftentimes the accounts are private affairs (Transfiguration), other times public (Wedding at Cana, Baptism). All of them take place, though, in the places Jesus lived and worked, within the context of his relationships of family, friends, and followers -- the sick, possessed, poor, celebrating, drinking, seeking, religious, fearful, apathetic, discouraged neighbors.

Jesus often follows these revelations (or “epiphanies”) with the command to “Go and tell”.

Will you join me in the daily work of training our eyes and ears for the "one who shows himself to us" this Epiphany? Each Sunday in Epiphany I share a post highlighting the week's Gospel account with visual art, music, and links to the Scripture readings for the week. You can find all of the Epiphany posts here.

Blessing our homes the first week of Epiphany

Pray & Do: Practices for your own home & neighborhood

Along with training our eyes and ears to recognize the one who shows Himself to us, we need to train our imaginations and our bodies to recognize Christ in our homes, workplaces, and neighborhoods. Along with the weekly devotional post, I'll include a prayer and suggested practice for your week. In this way, we honor the Light of the World and live out his blessing to make us the light of the world. This is what it means to live the adventure of the kingdom of God!

Will you join me in the daily work of training our eyes and ears for the "one who shows himself to us" this Epiphany?

WALKING EPIPHANY blog series

WALKING EPIPHANY guest posts

Each year I ask a few friends who live around the world to take a walk through their neighborhoods and share some of the ways they encounter and exhibit the presence of Christ.

Each of the friends contributing to the series this year has selected from a variety of thoughtful prompts (collected from my subscription to these excellent daily readings) to consider the ways the Light has moved into their neighborhoods.

Don't miss the opportunity to engage in your own neighborhood! I include with each post a list of thought-provoking questions to help you look at your home and community with "epiphany" eyes.